Machine for forming armored insulated conductors



g J. 'H. HUNTER MACHINE FOR FORMING ARMORED INSULATED CONDUCTORS Filed April 20. 1925 2 Sheet s-Sheet l 1,640,939 A g. 30, 927. ML HUNTER MACHINE FOR FORMING ARMORED INSULATED CONDUCTORS Filed April 20. 1925- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3] nuc-ntoz Patented Aug. 30, 1927.

UNITED STATES P ATENT O'FF-ICEJ JOSEPH I-I. HUNTER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO DETROIT INSULATED WIRE COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

MACHINE FOR FORMING ARMORED INSULATED CONDUCTORS.

Application fil ed April 20, 1925. Serial No. 24,636.

The invention relates to the manufacture of armored insulated conductors of that type in which the insulated conductor wires are encased by a spirally wound metallic strip forming a flexible covering. In the present state of the art machines have beendesigned for applying the armor to the conductors, which consist essentially in means for feeding and fashioning the metal strip so as to form the spiral conduit together with means for simultaneously feeding one or more insulated electrical conductors within the spiral winding and imparting to said conductors the same speed of rotation and longitudinal advancement as that of the casing. This is accomplished in certain constructions by carrying the insulated conductor on a reel having its axis transverse to the axis of the spiral conduit and mounting said reel upon a revolving spindle in alignment with the conduit. While this arrangement is satisfactory in manufacturing small sized cables within a certain limit of angular speed, clifficulty is encountered in the larger sizes and where there is an attempt to increase the anglar speed so as to correspondingly increase the output. g

It is the object of the present invention to obtain a construction of machine overcoming the difficulties just described and to this end the invention consists in the construction as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the machine.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a modified construction showing the means for advancing the armored conductor.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation at right angles to Figure 1 showing the means for armoring the conductor.

Figure 4 is a plan view of another modification.

Figure 5 is a vertical section of still another modification.

My improved machine is provided with mechanism for feeding a metallic strip and fashioning the same to form the spiral conduit, which may be of any suitable construction and forms no part of the present invention. As diagrammatically shown, the strip A, is fed bet-ween forming rolls B and C, which fashion the cross sectional contour thereof and deliver the fashioned strip through a guide D to a plurality of idler duit F as it is delivered.

rolls E, which wind it into a spiral with over lapping and interlocking convolutions The tube F thus formed is. deli ed from the rolls E revolving and axially advancing.

lVith machines as previously constructed the reel'off which the conductor G is fed has its axis transverse to the axis of the rotating spindle on which it is mountednso that the conductor .may be fed off tangentially. This will operate satisfactorily with small sized flexible conductors, but not with the larger conductors and cables; also the saced of rotation must be kept within relatively low limits, as otherwise centrifugal action will interfere with the drawing off of the conductor and will frequently cause an interlocking of the convolutions, causing breakage or injury. lVith my improven'ient centrifugal action is either eliminated or is utilized in the feeding of the conductor to,

avoid. any interference, the construction be ing as follows;

In Figures 1 and 2 I have shown a construction particularly designed for use with conductors and cables of large cross section and which cannot be readily fed off from a reel. In this construction there is arranged FIO- in axial alignment withthe conduit delivered from the rolls E a guide forthe conductor which is extended to receive the entire length to be armored. This guide may be in the form of a revolving tube H having its speed of rotation corresponding to that of the con- There is also provided a guide-way I for receiving the whole a length of the armored conductor which may eitherbe a tube as shown in Figure 1 or an open trough as shown in Figure 2. Suitable means is provided for advancing the armored conductor through the guide Which, as shown in Figure 2, consists of thecarriage J having the head K swivelled thereto. If desired this swivelled head may be driven by a motor L mounted on the carriage. The tubular guide II is driven by any suitable mechanism timed with the operation of the conduit forming mechanism, such as indicated at M. Thus, in operation a heavy cable may be armored without the difliculties that are encountered in machines heretofore used.

As shown in Figure 4:, in place of straight guideways H and I, these may be bent in large radius curves N and O, which will permit of obtaining the necessary length conductor as it is fed thercthrough, such tubes being driven by suitable timed mechanism.

In the modified construction shown in Figure 5, instead of feeding the cable through a guideway of corresponding length, it is delivered from a reel P and is fed olt' therefrom axially, the reel being simulta neously revolved at such a rate as to impart to the cable the speed of rotation of the armor conduit. This construction forms the subject matter of another application for patent and will therefore not be described further in detail.

WVhat Iclaim as my invention is:

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination with means for forming a metallic strip into a spirally Wound flexible rotatingand advancing armored conduit, of means for rotating a conductor throughout its length about its own axis and for delivering the same axially into said armored conduit, both axial rotation and longitudinal advancement corres tionding in speed to that of said conduit.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination with means for forming a metallic strip into a spirally wound flexible rotating and advancing armor conduit, of guidingmeans for receiving the full length of a conductor to be armored and for delivering the same axially into the armor tube, and means for imparting to the conductor so delivered a speed of rotation corresponding to that of the armor.

3. A machine of the character described, the combination with means for forming a metallic strip into a spirally wound flexible rotating and advancing armor conduit, of a guideway for receiving the 'ent'ire length of I of a conductor to be armored and for de! iivering the same axially into the armor conduit, and means arranged at spaced points throughout the length of the conductor for imparting to the same a rotary movement about its own axis and throughout its entire length. 7 i

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination with means for forming ametallic strip into a-spirally wound flexible rotating and advancing armored conduit, of means for rotating a conductor throughout its length about its own axis andt'or deliveringjg' the same axially into said armored conduit;

In testimony whereof I atiix my signature.

JOSEPH HQ HUNTER. 

